The oleoresin urushiol, which flows through the poison ivy plant and its relatives, causes an allergic reaction of a red, itchy rash. Urushiol is a sticky, clear oil containing catechols and other phenolic resins that act as a powerful hapten (a substance that does not stimulate antibody formation but reacts selectively in vitro with an antibody).
Urushiol resin remains stable, even in dead or dried plants, and therefore is equally hazardous in the winter as in the summer. Estimates state that 50-70% of the U.S. population is allergic to urushiol and would acquire the rash on casual contact. A person allergic to poison ivy is also allergic to poison oak and poison sumac. People may not be allergic to poison ivy the first time they touch it, but can become allergic as the skin sensitizes to the resin.
Treatments for removing toxic oils from skin are numerous and encompass quite a large variety of products. The current invention is a one-step treatment that not only removes urushiol from the skin but relieves the itch and soothes the skin in just one step. That step uses the unique ingredient, Grindelia Robusta, which is a homeopathic remedy. In this invention, Grindelia is compounded with a variety of other ingredients that are combined and formulated as a topical cleanser that is safe, effective, and easy to use.
Earlier poison ivy medicaments are formulated as multi-step products. Applicants have a pending application to a product called Ivy-Stat that is a two-component product wherein poison ivy is controlled by a kit where one component removes toxic oils from the skin and another component relieves and soothes the skin from residual itch and sensitivity. The instant invention has only one component.
Tec Labs, Inc., assignee of the present invention, is the owner of a known and currently manufactured product called Tecnu®. It is sold as an outdoor skin cleanser that removes the poison oak and ivy oil, urushiol, which causes rash and itching. Tecnu comprises deodorized mineral spirits, water, propylene glycol, octylphenoxy-polyethoxyethanol, mixed fatty acid soap, and fragrance.
The new topical remedy that is the subject of the instant invention contains at least one surfactant, a thickener, a preservative, an analgesic, a fragrance and a scrubbing agent. Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in further detail in the detailed description section below.
Other than Tecnu, topical remedies that are commercially available at this time include soaps. Soaps may remove urushiol, but do nothing to relieve the itch or heal the rash that results from urushiol contact. The present invention removes the oil as well as relieves the itch and treats the rash simultaneously. The triple-action product is a new way to solve an old hard-to-solve problem of urushiol contact dermatitis. It is a one-step product that doesn't have to be mixed or formulated by a homeopath.
Another natural poison ivy remedy sold includes Sumactin, which contains jewelweed, aloe, plantain, and soapwort. The instant invention differs from Sumactin both in both composition and action. The Internet offers a plurality of products that are advertised and available as homeopathic remedies for urushiol contact. Applicants' invention comprises a triple-action, quality manufactured natural product which is not duplicated by web sites selling individual ingredients.